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Barry, Adam Etheridge. "Examining college students' beliefs and behaviors regarding responsible alcohol consumption." Thesis, [College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1526.
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Schiff, Holly Ann. "Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption as Addictive Behaviors in Emerging Adults." Thesis, Hofstra University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10745921.
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While not all emerging adults engage in risky behavior, for those who do, there may be a pattern based on family structure, socioeconomic status, and religiosity. The goal of the present study was to investigate gender differences in addictive risk-taking behavior while examining the relation between family structure, socioeconomic status, religiosity and addictive risk-taking behavior in emerging adults. Although many risk-taking behaviors are not addictive in nature, the focus of the present study was of those which are. Addictive risk-taking behaviors, for the purposes of this study, were defined as alcohol use and smoking of cigarettes and e-cigarettes; also known as vaping. Participants filled out a self-report questionnaire measuring alcohol use and smoking habits. Religiosity was considered as a covariate of risky behavior. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) was used to examine alcohol use. The Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) was used to measure addiction. The National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) was used to assess smoking behavior. The Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) was used to measure dimensions of religious involvement and religiosity. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-C SDS) was used to assess response bias. The Family Affluence Scale II (FAS) was used to measure socioeconomic status. The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) was used to measure sensation seeking. Analyses of data were conducted utilizing regression analysis, t-tests, ANOVA, and Chi-square tests of association. The results of the study confirmed several of the factors that have been identified in previous research as being related to increased involvement in risk-taking behavior by emerging adults, and identified further gaps in research. The key findings were that males smoke and use e-cigarettes more than females, that males are more likely than females to become problem drinkers, that coming from a single-parent or two-parent household is not significantly related to engaging in risky behaviors, that having a higher socioeconomic status correlates with higher drinking rates, that religiosity does not significantly correlate with engagement in risky behaviors, that sensation seeking is significantly correlated with risky behaviors, and that race/ethnicity is not significantly correlated with risky behaviors. The most unusual findings were those related to the relationship between family structure and engagement in risky behaviors and the correlation between higher SES and higher drinking rates, as they diverged from previous findings in the literature. Overall, the study also yielded a combined model of SES, gender, and family structure that was significantly predictive of both drinking and smoking. The results of the study were not significantly skewed by social desirability. This study has both academic and practical significance in that it can inform prevention and education programs which can target these youths so this population does not engage in addictive risk-taking behaviors such as using alcohol, and cigarettes, further validate the instruments utilized in this study, and add to the body of literature relating to the theory of emerging adults and engagement in addictive risky behavior.
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Loudermilk, Elaine, Kevin Loudermilk, Julie Obenauer, and Megan Quinn. "Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Adult Alcohol Consumption Behaviors." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6777.
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Background: Long term negative physical and mental health problems occur from the lack of appropriate interventions targeting the adult population who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and partake in risky alcohol consumption behaviors.
Objective: This study aimed to identify the risk for alcohol consumption behaviors, specifically binge drinking (BD) and any drinking (AD), among adults with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Methods: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2011–2012 data were used. Descriptive statistics were completed followed by simple and multiple logistic regression to determine the strength of association between ACEs and alcohol consumption, controlling for sociodemographic factors.
Results: The final adjusted sample size was 69,793. Adults who experienced household abuse were 30% more likely to BD (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.30, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20–1.41) and 21% more likely for AD (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.14–1.28) in the past month. Males were over two times more likely to BD (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.96–2.29) and 60% more likely for AD (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.51–1.69) in the past month compared to females. Individuals who completed some college were at higher risk of BD (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.26–1.82), whereas those who graduated college were nearly two and a half times more likely to report AD in the past month (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.99–2.59) compared to individuals with less than high school education.
Conclusion: Adults who experienced household abuse, are male, or possess at least some college education are at increased risk for BD and AD.
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Golson, Angela Cole. "The prediction of wellness factors on alcohol consumption and behaviors related to alcohol among college students." Mississippi State University, 2013.
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Assaad, Jean-Marc. "The heart rate response to alcohol intoxication and its relationship with alcohol consumption, delinquency, and intoxicated aggressive and disinhibited behaviors /." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=38457.
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Alcohol abuse/dependence frequently co-occurs with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and conduct disorder (CD). Furthermore, crime studies have generally found that alcohol is involved in over 50% of violent crimes, and experimental studies support the notion that acute alcohol consumption indirectly increases the likelihood of aggressive and disinhibited behaviors in the laboratory. However, the mechanisms underlying alcohol's association with such behaviors remain unclear. The goals of this thesis were therefore to further elucidate potential mechanisms underlying (a) alcohol-induced aggressive, disinhibited behaviors and (b) the high comorbidity between delinquent, aggressive behaviors (characterizing CD/ASPD) and alcohol misuse/abuse/dependence. Thus, four studies were conducted, focusing on individual differences in the physiological response to alcohol intoxication. Specifically examined was the elevated heart rate (HR) response to alcohol, which is thought to reflect an increased sensitivity to alcohol-induced reward.Results of Study I indicated that high HR Responders to alcohol self-reported increased multiple year delinquency (physical aggression, theft, and destruction of property), as well as more alcohol consumption and an increased positive subjective feeling following intoxication, as compared to low HR Responders. Furthermore, a high HR response was related to increased extraversion, disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, and total sensation seeking. Study II revealed that Aggressive Sons of Male Alcoholics (Agg-SOMAs) had the highest intoxicated HR response, and reported the most alcohol consumption, as compared to Non-Agg-SOMAs, or Agg - or Non-Agg - Non-SOMAs. Studies III and IV revealed that intoxicated high HR responders exhibited the most physical aggression (assessed by the Taylor Aggression Paradigm), as well as the most behavioral disinhibition (assessed by the Go/No-Go task) as compared to sober high HR Responders, or sober/intoxicated low HR responders.
In summary, individuals with a high HR response to alcohol appear to have an increased propensity for multiple addictive, disinhibited and aggressive behaviors. This determines a phenotype of both potential heuristic and clinical importance. These findings are discussed within the context of a hypothetical model of (a) the high comorbidity between alcohol use/misuse and aggression/ASPD, and (b) the increased likelihood of alcohol-induced aggressive, disinhibited behaviors.
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Zonies, Rebecca L. "The relationship between students' perceptions of their family relationship environment and their alcohol consumption behaviors." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/1573.
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Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2004.Thesis research directed by: Dept. of Counseling and Personnel Services. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.
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Choquette, Emily M. "A Psychometric Evaluation of the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS)." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7007.
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Drunkorexia refers to a set of disordered eating behaviors that occur in the context of a drinking episode for the purpose of 1) off setting caloric intake of the alcohol or 2) increasing the effects of alcohol. The Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS) was developed with the purpose of measuring drunkorexia behaviors at three time points: before, during, and after a drinking episode. The purpose of this study was to further validate the measure for use in men and women by examining measurement invariance, reliability, and validity. First, single group confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted separately by gender to examine the underlying factor structure of the measure. The two groups independently showed similar factor structure. The factor structure for both men and women indicated the removal of the original CEBRACS Restriction subscale. A multi-group CFA was conducted on the modified factor structure using gender as the grouping variable. This revised measure was found to have scalar invariance suggesting that means and variances of this measure can be compared. The current study addressed several limitations of previous measurement validation studies including a large diverse sample and thorough examination of the psychometric properties of the CEBRACS. This work provides additional evidence supporting the validity of the CEBRACS and suggests measurement invariance between genders.
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Touhy, Carol M. "The influence of drinking games on drinking behavior, psychosocial variables, and harmful behaviors." Honors in the Major Thesis, University of Central Florida, 2010. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETH/id/1514.
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This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.Bachelors
Nursing
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Catibusic, Linnéa-Rebecka. "Trait Anxiety and Negative Health Risk Behaviors in Adults : The Relationship between Trait Anxiety, Alcohol Consumption and Physical Inactivity." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för psykologi, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-148950.
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Relatively little is known regarding trait anxiety and its relationship with negative health risk behaviors such as alcohol consumption and physical inactivity in adults. This study aimed to examine whether negative health risk behaviors differ by sex and whether trait anxiety is associated with the negative health risk behaviors above and beyond sociodemographic factors and depression. Data used in the present study came from a published dataset from the Midlife in the United States 2 (MIDUS 2) study and include a sample of 1,054 adults whose age range from 34 to 84 years. There were significant sex differences in alcohol consumption, but not in physical inactivity. Age, sex, BMI, and depression were significantly associated with alcohol consumption or physical inactivity, whereas trait anxiety was not. These results suggest that sociodemographic variables and depression should be taken into consideration when studying negative health risk behaviors.Det finns relativt lite kunskap om ångest och dess förhållande till negativa hälsobeteenden som alkoholkonsumtion och fysisk inaktivitet hos vuxna individer. Denna studie avsåg undersöka om negativa hälsobeteenden varierade beroende på kön och om ångest har en relation till negativa hälsobeteenden utöver sociodemografiska faktorer och depression. De data som användes i denna studie kommer från ett offentligt data-set från the Midlife in the United States 2-studien (MIDUS 2) som omfattar 1054 vuxna deltagare med en ålder mellan 34 och 84 år. Det påfanns signifikanta könsskillnader inom alkoholkonsumtion men inte inom fysisk inaktivitet. Variablerna ålder, kön, BMI och depression hade en signifikant koppling till alkoholkonsumtion och fysisk inaktivitet, men ett liknande samband kunde inte påfinnas mellan ångest och de två hälsobeteendena. Detta indikerar således att man bör studera sociodemografiska variabler och depression i relation till negativa hälsobeteenden då det verkar finnas en tydlig koppling.
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Buchanan, Julia K. "ENERGY DRINK CONSUMPTION (WITH AND WITHOUT ALCOHOL) AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO RISKY BEHAVIOR, RISK AWARENESS, AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS." UKnowledge, 2012. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/khp_etds/5.
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The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between energy drink consumption (with and without alcohol) and other risky behaviors; students’ overall awareness level of the risks for consuming energy drinks; and overall behavioral intention to consume energy drinks among college students at the University of Kentucky. A total of 277 students enrolled during the Spring 2012 semester responded to the online survey, 46.5% (n=129) of which were considered energy drink users. Students classified as energy drink users participated in other risky behaviors more often than non-users (p=0.001). In addition, energy drink users exhibited a higher awareness level for the risks associated with energy drink consumption both with (p=0.000) and without (p=0.000) alcohol. Those who were more aware of the risks associated with energy drink consumption, both with (p=0.001) and without (p=0.001) alcohol, were found to have increased intention to consume energy drinks within the next month compared to those with lower awareness levels. There is a need for future research on this topic, as well as a need for expanded education and intervention programming for college students regarding the risks of energy drink consumption (with and without alcohol).
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Cyders, Melissa A. "MANIPULATION OF POSITIVE EMOTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON NEGATIVE OUTCOMES OF GAMBLING BEHAVIORS AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: THE ROLE OF POSITIVE URGENCY." Lexington, Ky. : [University of Kentucky Libraries], 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10225/923.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 2008.Title from document title page (viewed on November 24, 2008). Document formatted into pages; contains: vi, 68 p. Includes abstract and vita. Page number iii repeats. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-61).
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Kincheloe, Lauren M. "College: A Time to Increase Knowledge and Attenuate Health? A Study into College's Influences on Students' Alcohol Consumption, Physical Activity, and Diet." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1339431346.
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Edgren, Lee. "A comparison of the impact of hatha yoga and wellness education on the problematic behaviors of excessive alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and dysfunctional eating." Virtual Press, 1998. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1074542.
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The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of twelve weeks of instruction in two university-level educational approaches to self management (hatha yoga (EXSCI 119) and the current fitness/wellness core course (PEFWL 101) ) on the problematic behaviors of excessive smoking, dysfunctional eating and excessive alcohol consumption. Some theories of addiction, notably those of Peele and Clemmens, suggest that increased awareness, such as that promoted by hatha yoga, may be valuable to the alteration of the addictive process. The quantitative analysis utilized the stages and processes of change questionnaires developed by many researchers associated with the University of Rhode Island team led by James 0. Prochaska. Analysis of the data did not show any statistical difference between the two approaches. A secondary qualitative analysis suggests that hatha yoga students thought differently about themselves and their experience following their yoga class.Fisher Institute for Wellness
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Cunningham, Jaime L. "Student misperceptions of alcohol consumption norms." Virtual Press, 1993. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/864942.
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Adolescents from nine intact health classes from two high schools participated either in a traditional lecturebased alcohol prevention intervention or a nontraditional experiential-based intervention. The nontraditional intervention focussed on attitudes toward drinking and the misperceptions associated with alcohol consumption norms. Subjects completed several self-report measures on attitudes toward drinking (own, perceived friends', and perceived school's), perceived ranking of alcohol consumption compared to closest friends and compared to the school, intent to drink, and actual reporting of alcohol consumption. For the nontraditional intervention, it was hypothesized that students would change their perceptions of others' attitudes toward drinking and their perception of the norm enough to decrease their alcohol consumption. Results indicated the intervention changed the perceived attitude of the school, but not enough to significantly change consumption levels. These findings confirm that misperceptions occur and that they influence alcohol consumption.Department of Psychological Science
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Hernandez, Liza. "Alcohol Consumption in a Preclinical Model of Schizophrenia." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2020. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3693.
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Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of the global population. Schizophrenia is highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders such as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) with a prevalence rate of 27% - 65%, which is significantly higher than AUD exhibited by the general population (6%). Research indicates that a higher rate of AUD in individuals suffering from schizophrenia may be related to the common neuronal pathways that underlie the expression of both disorders. The present study will determine whether the neonatal quinpirole (NQ) rodent model of schizophrenia will approximate the human condition and exhibit increased EtOH consumption. Rats will be treated neonatally with quinpirole or saline. Following the treatment period, rats will be tested for EtOH consumption using a 24-hour two-bottle free-access paradigm. The proposed research will test the hypothesis that rats neonatally treated with quinpirole will consume significantly greater amounts of EtOH than their saline counterparts.
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Houlihan, Shea. "Causal mechanisms of choice architecture interventions in alcohol consumption." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ef75f6d0-30a0-4d85-8224-9dfabcaf9b6a.
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This thesis attempts to answer the research question: What are the causal mechanisms for behaviour change undergirding choice architecture (CA) interventions in alcohol use? This thesis is organised along two dimensions: conceptual and empirical. At the conceptual level, this project discusses the application of CA to public policy; the lack of consensus regarding the theory of change underpinning the relationship between CA intervention stimuli and modified behaviour; and the need for clearer understandings of the CA intervention components in relation to other behavioural interventions. At the empirical level, this project systematically reviews available CA interventions intended to reduce alcohol consumption in public drink settings and suggests new alcohol-related CA intervention strategies.
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Govoni, Richard Joseph. "Gambling behaviour and the distribution of alcohol consumption model." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ62319.pdf.
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Kilmer, Jason Robert. "A contextual analysis of alcohol consumption among college students : implications for the prevention of alcohol-related problems /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/9188.
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Kalsher, Michael J. "A behavior analysis of alcohol consumption and impairment at university parties." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54334.
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Four field experiments were conducted to examine situational determinants of alcohol consumption at university fraternity parties. Certain manipulated variables were relevant to the development of environmental strategies for predicting and decreasing excessive alcohol consumption and deterring alcohol impaired driving. When entering university-sanctioned parties, students were asked a few questions and then they received a drink container and a stick-on badge, each with an ID number. During these parties, individual drinking rates of beer and mixed drinks or beer only were monitored under varying environmental conditions. When exiting the party, students' blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were obtained with a breathalizer.
In Experiment 1, three types of beer (Budweiser, Bud Light, and LA) were available in kegs labeled "A", "B", and "C". At a second party the kegs were labeled according to beer content (i.e., Budweiser, Bud Light, and LA). Results showed significant differences in drink choice across parties, with Budweiser most preferred by males and females when kegs did not indicate beer content and Bud Light most preferred by males and females when the kegs were labeled according to brand. The low alcohol (LA) choice was only selected substantially when the kegs did not reflect beer content.
In Experiment 2, students of legal—drinking age at each of two weekend fraternity parties chose one of two types of alcoholic beverages (beer or mixed drinks) to consume throughout the night. Unbeknownst to the partiers, at the first of these two parties the beer drinkers were served regular beer, whereas at the second party low alcohol beer was served. Drinking rates were similar for beer and mixed-drink consumption at both parties; at the party with LA beer, students‘ mean BAC when leaving the party was significantly lower for the beer drinkers (i.e., .026 for LA consumers vs. .063 for mixed-drink consumers)
For Experiment 3, students of legal drinking age at a weekend fraternity party chose one of two types of alcoholic beverages (beer or mixed drinks) to drink throughout the night. Unbeknownst to the partiers, drinkers were randomly assigned to either a regular alcohol content or low alcohol content version of their preferred beverage type. The drinking rates were greater for beer drinkers than for partiers consuming mixed drinks. Drinking rates were similar for both the low and regular alcohol alternatives. However, exit BAC was significantly greater for those in the regular-alcohol conditions.
In Experiment 4, the alcoholic beverages available to students of legal—drinking age at one party (i.e., mixed drinks and beer) were served either by bartenders or served by themselves. A test of the theory of reasoned action was conducted by attempting to predict the number of drinks consumed and exit BAC from measures of general and specific intentions obtained two weeks before the party and at the start of the party. Specific drinking intentions obtained at the start of the party predicted a significant amount of variance in exit BAC (R = .59). The manipulation of situational variables also accounted for a portion of the variance in the number of drinks consumed and exit BAC. One environmental determinant at this party was the nature of drink delivery (i.e., self-serve vs. bartender). Male and female beer drinkers assigned to the Self-Serve condition drank at a higher rate and consumed more of their preferred beverage type than did those drinkers served by a bartender, or by those consuming mixed drinks in the self-serve condition. This increase was highest for male partiers. Male and female mixed drink consumers assigned to the Self·Serve condition drank at the lowest rate and consumed the least amount of their preferred beverage type.Ph. D.
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Rodgers, Joseph. "Work hard play hard: exploring alcohol consumption among student-athletes." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/17597.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Journalism and Mass Communications
Nancy Muturi
Collegiate student-athletes have been identified as an especially at-risk subgroup for heavy alcohol use as compared to the general college student population. Despite the intense physical demands required for athletic participation, national studies have found that intercollegiate athletes consumed more alcohol, engaged in more frequent heavy episodic drinking, and experienced more negative alcohol-related consequences as compared with non-athletes. A combination of structured open-ended and closed-ended questions was used in the current study. Data was collected from student-athletes across the United States through semi-structured, individual interviews informed by the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and its constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control). Open coding was the chosen method for data analysis for the study. Codes, accompanied by descriptives, were organized into themes as they related to the research questions and the theory of planned behavior. Results show that nearly half (49%) of student-athletes report drinking five or more drinks in one-sitting, with the majority of student-athletes consuming alcohol only 1-2 times per week at parties. Student-athletes’ attitudes towards heavy drinking and alcohol outcome expectancies are apparent in two themes: sexual risk taking and athletic training justification. Many respondents expressed alcohol-drinking relationships with other student-athletes at their institution. The NCAA has recognized the importance of addressing alcohol related issues among collegiate athletes. However, the type of educational programming being assigned by the NCAA has been generally ineffective in reducing alcohol use of student-athletes. In fact, of the student-athletes surveyed in this study, the majority struggled with recalling NCAA alcohol prevention programs that they are familiar with—only 13% of student-athletes use alcohol prevention skills and tools taught by the NCAA or their athletic department to reduce alcohol consumption. Similarly, there is a belief among student-athletes that the NCAA is not doing enough to reduce alcohol use among student-athletes is exemplified by the fact that the majority (57%) gave the NCAA an F letter-grade for their current alcohol intervention and prevention strategies that are being taught to student-athletes. Although the NCAA requires student-athletes to participate in alcohol, tobacco and other drug education programming, only approximately 25% of student-athletes surveyed recalled viewing a NCAA drug and alcohol educational video or reading a brochure detailing the effect alcohol has on athletic performance at the beginning of the academic year. Furthermore, 85% of student-athletes reported that they were not informed of the counseling or alcohol treatment options that the NCAA provides.
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Hensley, Laura Greer. "An investigation of the relationship between college student development and alcohol consumption patterns." W&M ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618469.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between college student development and alcohol consumption patterns. Student development was investigated in the domains of moral development through the use of the Defining Issues Test, identity development through the use of the Erwin Identity Scale, and intellectual development through the use of the Scale of Intellectual Development. Alcohol consumption patterns were studied in terms of binge drinking frequency according to responses on the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. All participants were classified into one of four drinking pattern categories: Abstainers, Drinkers, Bingers, and Frequent Bingers. The study also used a discriminant analysis to determine the linear combination of student developmental and demographic variables which best predicts student drinking category membership.;The study was conducted through a randomized mailing to 400 undergraduate students at the College of William and Mary. The 114 respondents were residential, traditionally-aged students. Results showed that there was a significant effect for the Commitment subscale of the Scale of Intellectual Development by alcohol consumption category. Students who were Non-Bingers were more likely to have higher scores on this measure of commitment to a value system and personal method of processing information. There was also a significant effect for Greek membership by alcohol consumption category, as Frequent Bingers and Bingers were more likely to be members of Greek organizations than were Drinkers and Abstainers. Commitment score and Greek membership were the strongest predictor variables in the discriminant function.
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Witte, Gertie. "Adolescent deviance and alcohol consumption : the influence of parents and friends." Thesis, McGill University, 1991. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=70238.
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The present research examined the impact of two dimensions of friends' and parents' influence (relationship quality and deviance) on adolescent deviance. Friends' deviance is a consistent correlate of adolescent deviance, yet the quality of the friendship within which deviance occurs has not been assumed to have any bearing on its incidence. The development of egalitarian relationships at adolescence is theorized to promote social and emotional maturity, qualities that could inhibit deviance. This research examined whether the quality of friendships inhibits adolescent deviance and also whether it modifies the expected association between adolescents' and friends' deviance. The quality of parent-adolescent relations is consistently linked to adolescent deviance, but is considerably less influential if contrasted to friends' deviance. This research sought to determine whether the quality of parent-adolescent relationships modifies the expected correlation between adolescents' and friends' deviance and whether the effect holds if parents themselves are deviant. Subjects were assessed in Grade 7 (N = 173) for general deviance and again in Grade 10 (N = 167) for alcohol use. A subsample of 131 were analyzed for long-term effects. In all analyses, friends' deviance, as expected, emerged as the most significant correlate of adolescent deviance, particularly for males. The quality of friendship was not found to be related to deviance at Grade 7, but was associated with lower drinking at Grade 10 for adolescents who had drinking friends. Additionally, longitudinal analyses showed that adolescents who had deviant friends at Grade 7 and whose friendships were of poor quality were at risk for later drinking. The quality of parent-adolescent relations modified the effect of deviant friends for females at Grade 7, but did not predict drinking at Grade 10. High quality parent-adolescent relations at Grade 10, however, increased the likelihood that adolescents would imitate par
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Lau, Katharina [Verfasser]. "Alcohol consumption, motivation to change drinking behaviour, motivation to seek help for alcohol problem drinking and alcohol-attributable morbidity / Katharina Lau." Greifswald : Universitätsbibliothek Greifswald, 2011. http://d-nb.info/1017586578/34.
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Gallagher, Kathryn Elise. "Building toward an Intervention for Alcohol-Related Aggression: A Cognitive and Behavior Test of the Attention Allocation Model." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2010. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_theses/74.
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This study provided the first direct test of the cognitive underpinnings of the attention-allocation model and attempted to replicate and extend past behavioral findings for this model as an explanation for alcohol-related aggression. Men were randomly assigned to a beverage (Alcohol, No-Alcohol Control) and a distraction (Moderate Distraction, No Distraction) condition. All men were provoked by a male confederate and completed a dot probe task and a laboratory aggression task without distraction or while presented with a moderate distraction task. Results indicated that intoxicated men whose attention was distracted displayed significantly lower levels of aggression bias and enacted significantly less physical aggression than intoxicated men whose attention was not distracted. However, aggression bias did not account for the lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in the distraction, relative to the no-distraction, condition. Discussion focused on how these data inform intervention programming for alcohol-related aggression.
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Hustad, John T. P. "Self-regulation, alcohol consumption and consequences in college student heavy drinkers a latent growth analysis /." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2006. http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTU0NWQmSU5UPTAmVkVSPTI=&clientId=3739.
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Holgate, Joan Y. "Investigating stress and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rodent binge-like consumption behaviours." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2018. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/121485/1/Joan_Holgate_Thesis.pdf.
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Overconsumption of sugar and/or alcohol leads to a number of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and alcohol dependence. Stress is known to be a major contributor to the development of binge eating and drinking. However, the animal models available rarely examine the role of stress in the development of binge consumption of substances. This thesis aimed to improve the animal models of alcohol and sugar consumption in order to improve our understanding of the impact of stress on binge consumption. We had previously shown that varenicline (an anti-smoking medication which acts on neuronal nicotinic receptors) reduces alcohol consumption. Here we show varenicline reduces sugar consumption and stress hormones. We also show exposure to stress during early life alters nicotinic receptors levels in the brain. These data further enhance our ability to developing alcoholism and obesity treatments.
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Glomjai, Thanee. "Alcohol consumption behaviour of young people in Thailand : perspectives of stakeholders in Petchaburi Province." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/21023.
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This thesis examines the issue of young people and alcohol consumption in order to understand their behaviour and experiences in Thailand. Alcohol consumption is socially accepted as a pleasurable activity in many countries world-wide. Alcohol consumption among young people in Thailand has been affected by the spread of western culture, which has encouraged an acceptance of drinking alcohol as being fashionable and as a means of promoting social relationships. This study aimed to gain detailed knowledge of the alcohol consumption behaviour of secondary school students in Petchaburi Province, Thailand, using a survey and participatory action research to understand the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders in one community towards young people’s behaviour and alcohol consumption. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted in order to explore and interpret students’ and stakeholders’ perspectives. The survey was the first phase of the research and used a questionnaire to identify the characteristics and problems of the alcohol consumption behaviour of 845 secondary school students aged 15-19 sampled from one school in each of the eight districts of Petchaburi Province. Logistic regression was used to select one school for conducting Participatory Action Research (PAR) in one community “C” in phase two of the research. An ecological approach was applied for capturing a variety of perspectives, at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy level using focus groups and in-depth interviews with eight students, eight parents, three health professionals, two teachers, one community leader, one policeman and one Buddhist monk. The study findings demonstrated that alcohol consumption among young people was common. The data showed that 45.9% of participants had had an alcoholic drink in the previous thirty days. Students usually drank on Fridays and Saturdays with their gangs. All or almost all of their close friends were reported as having an alcoholic drink. Most students were affected by peer pressure, some students copied their family members’ drinking behaviour, and some of them were influenced by fashion, community culture and advertising. Moreover, students who drank alcohol demonstrated the negative consequences of drinking. Drinking at an early age was defined by all stakeholders in the selected Community C as unpleasant and intolerable behaviour. Students started to develop strategies in order to access alcohol. Moreover, alcohol was readily available due to the lack of restrictions being enforced in community shops by government policy, alongside inconsistent enforcement of the Alcohol Act. The development of prevention strategies was recommended for action at all levels. This includes within families, in schools, and within affected communities through the introduction of policies such as the restriction of alcohol sales and advertising, and by raising awareness among young people and their communities. Finally, Buddhist practices were discussed as a key element in the development of an intervention programme to reduce the problematic drinking behaviour of young people.
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Cantacorps, Centellas Lídia 1991. "Effects of maternal binge alcohol consumption on emotional, cognitive and addictive behaviour in mice." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/667941.
Full textAbstract:
Maternal alcohol binge drinking during pregnancy can be deleterious for the developing foetus, leading to a wide range of long-lasting morphological and neurobehavioural disabilities known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, associated with a higher risk of developing substance use disorders later in life. We sought to assess the effects of prenatal and postnatal alcohol exposure on cognitive, emotional, motor and addictive behaviour in mice and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Pregnant C57BL/6 female mice underwent a procedure to model alcohol binge drinking either during gestation or throughout both the gestation and lactation periods. Then, male offspring were assessed for their behaviour at adulthood. Binge alcohol exposure during early brain development induces cognitive deficits, increased anxiety-like behaviour, motor coordination impairments, and age-dependent locomotor activity alterations. Behavioural effects are associated with an upregulation of pro-inflammatory signalling, gliosis, neuronal death, myelin impairments and epigenetic modifications in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, early alcohol exposed mice show alterations in brain network connectivity. Curcumin treatment ameliorates anxiety and cognitive dysfunctions, and rescues alcohol-induced neuroinflammation. In addition, mice exposed to alcohol in utero and postnatally show increased susceptibility to later alcohol and cocaine intake compared with their counterparts. Molecular analyses of the prefrontal cortex and striatum of these animals suggest alterations in the glutamatergic excitability within the mesocorticolimbic reward system following cocaine-induced reinstatement. Altogether, our results reveal that maternal binge-like alcohol consumption induces molecular alterations in offspring’s brain that may underlie the long-lasting impairments in offspring’s behaviour.El consum maternal d’alcohol en afartament durant l’embaràs pot resultar perjudicial per al fetus en desenvolupament, donant lloc a una àmplia gamma de discapacitats físiques i mentals conegudes com a trastorns de l’espectre alcohòlic fetal que persisteixen al llarg de la vida i estan associades a un major risc de desenvolupar trastorns d’ús de substàncies en el futur. En aquesta tesi hem tractat d’avaluar els efectes de l’exposició prenatal i postnatal a l’alcohol en la conducta cognitiva, emocional, motora i addictiva en ratolins i els mecanismes moleculars subjacents a aquests. Les femelles de ratolins C57BL/6 embarassades van ser sotmeses a un procediment per modelar el consum d’alcohol en afartament durant la gestació o bé, al llarg dels períodes de gestació i lactància. A continuació es va avaluar el comportament de la descendència masculina a l’edat adulta. S’ha observat que l’exposició d’alcohol en afartament durant el desenvolupament cerebral indueix dèficits cognitius, augment de l’ansietat, alteracions de coordinació motora i de l’activitat locomotora en funció de l’edat. Els efectes del comportament estan associats a un increment de la senyalització proinflamatòria, gliosi, mort neuronal, deteriorament de la mielina i modificacions epigenètiques en el còrtex prefrontal i l’hipocamp, així com també alteracions en la connectivitat de la xarxa neuronal. El tractament de curcumina alleuja l’ansietat i les disfuncions cognitives, i restableix la neuroinflamació induïda per l’alcohol. A més, els ratolins exposats a l’alcohol durant la gestació i la lactància mostren una major susceptibilitat a la ingesta posterior d’alcohol i cocaïna en comparació amb els seus homòlegs. Els anàlisis moleculars de l’escorça prefrontal i de l’estriat d’aquests animals suggereixen la presència d’alteracions en l’excitabilitat glutamatèrgica en el sistema de recompensa mesocorticolimbic després de la recaiguda induïda per cocaïna. En conjunt, els nostres resultats indiquen que el consum maternal d’alcohol en afartament provoca alteracions moleculars en el cervell de la descendència com a mecanisme subjacent a les alteracions relatives al comportament persistents.
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Patterson, La Brandor. "A study of the effect of cognitive behavioral coping skills to reduce alcohol consumption." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 1999. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/2446.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive behavioral coping skills procedures on an African American male, with a history of alcohol consumption on a daily basis, diagnosed with end stage renal disease. A single system research design was used. It was found that a 12 week session of cognitive behavioral coping skills reduced the alcohol consumption of the client.
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Dumbili, Emeka W. "Media, alcohol consumption and young people in an eastern Nigerian university campus : a qualitative study." Thesis, Brunel University, 2015. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/13015.
Full textAbstract:
This study draws on cultivation analysis (Gerbner, 1969) to explore the interrelating factors concerning the role of media in young people’s consumption of alcohol at a south-eastern Nigerian university. Nigeria has the second highest alcohol consumption in Africa. Traditionally, drinking spaces were dominated by adult males for socio-cultural reasons but in contemporary Nigeria there is increasing concern that younger men and women are now also drinking harmfully. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 male and 9 female undergraduate students (aged 19-23 years) to explore the ways in which media consumption shapes their drinking behaviour. Whilst young people’s consumption of both local and foreign media was high and gendered, one key motivation for using alcohol was aspirational, particularly among those who consumed Hollywood films. Many of the participants who consumed Hollywood films may have learned to associate heavy consumption with high social status. Importantly, this thesis demonstrates that although local films portray alcohol in a mainly negative light, this also motivates young people to drink as they learn how to use alcohol to ameliorate anxiety or depression. Young people’s drinking patterns were found to be gendered, underscoring a resilient socio-cultural belief in which men see alcohol as good for males while women believe that it should not be confined to men. Consequently, the women employed male-gendered drinking behaviours such as heavy drinking to develop social capital. At the same time, both male and female participants discussed taking part in risky sexual behaviour but the outcomes differed for males and females, with this behaviour being more stigmatised in women. Alcohol advertising and promotion were found to be highly influential because they encourage brand preference and brand allegiance, actively facilitate change of brand, and lead to excessive consumption amongst male and female participants. Although the participants confirmed that promotional activities facilitate alcohol misuse, they argued that promotions should not be regulated because promotional prizes alleviate poverty. This study furthers the discussion on cultivation theory by demonstrating that heavy television viewing cultivates alcohol consumption among this population and it contributes to cultivation and audience research by revealing that negative portrayals can also influence young people. This study’s findings can inform educational campaigns and policy formulation in Nigeria, particularly those that tackle alcohol availability, heavy episodic drinking and risky sexual behaviour; and those that encourage media literacy and more positive and equal relationships between women and men.
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Day, Carol Lynn. "Alcohol consumption, cognitive functioning and sober mood in women and men college students." Scholarly Commons, 1986. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/492.
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The present study investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive functioning in women and men college students, and examined the relationship between alcohol intake and sober mood state. Current consumption levels were calculated from a drinking history questionnaire as well as by daily self-monitoring and the data analyzed to determine if the two data collection measures were comparable. Pearson correlation coefficients showed the two measures of frequency of drinking significantly correlated for both the men and women. However, quantity consumed per occasion (QPO) as measured by the questionnaire was not significantly correlated to QPO as measured by self-monitoring for either the women or the men. Student's t-tests revealed significant differences with both men and women rating QPO higher when measured by the questionnaire. For the women, frequency of drinking was significantly lower with the questionnaire. This same trend was noted for the men, although it was not significant. No relationship was found between alcohol consumption and cognitive performance or sober mood state in this group of social drinkers.
Awareness of the dangers and the misuse of alcohol are at an all time high. One only need turn on the television or radio to hear messages designed to question our use of this "mind altering drug." Programs to "cure" alcohol dependence are advertised. Announcements designed to reduce the occurrence of drinking and driving are aired with pointed messages, e.g., "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." Even more specifically targeted are warnings aimed at high school and college-aged social drinkers: "If you don't drink and drive on grad night it won't KILL you." As education of the public increases, researchers are questioning not only the acute effects of alcohol but also possible "carryover effects" on sober social drinkers. We are well acquainted with the idea of skid-row alcoholics who have lost everything, including their memory. That long term drinking is associated with cognitive deficits is not surprising, but is there a relationship between cognitive deficits and social drinking in young adults? To address this question, neuroradiological and neuropsychological research on alcoholics and mature social drinkers is first reviewed. Previous research on college-aged social drinkers is examined, problems with prior research on college student social drinkers are identified, and the present study is outlined.
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Knott, Katy Elizabeth. "Alcohol consumption and adherence to self-care behaviours in type 2 diabetes : the inclusion of brief interventions for alcohol in diabetes care." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/28265.
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Type 2 diabetes is a growing health problem worldwide, resulting from the body's inefficiency at utilising insulin or reduced insulin production. For those diagnosed with the chronic health condition careful self-management is required, including following complex medication regimes, exercise, diet and ongoing monitoring by clinicians. Type 2 diabetes is however characterised by poor adherence to self-care behaviours, therefore increasing risk of hypertension, weight gain, renal and nerve damage. A systematic literature review was conducted to scrutinise literature examining psychosocial factors affecting adherence to self-care behaviours. Diverse psychosocial factors were found to affect and facilitate adherence to self-care in those with Type 2 diabetes. Strongest predictors related to social support, depression, self-efficacy and availability of financial resources. Relationship status, employment status, diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, motivation and level of education were also suggested to correlate with adherence. Coping and religion appeared equivocally related. Little research was elicited examining alcohol or smoking, however findings suggested a correlation with reduced adherence to self-care. A quantitative study expanded upon available literature, examining the prevalence of alcohol consumption in the UK Type 2 diabetic population and whether alcohol use correlated with adherence to self-care. A small pilot study examined the efficacy of an intervention to reduce alcohol consumption, and whether this would correlate with improved self-care. Results revealed 9% of the Type 2 diabetic population were consuming alcohol at levels placing them at risk of alcohol-related health problems, with males consuming more than females. A relationship was revealed between increased alcohol consumption and decreased adherence to self-care. Findings have clinical implications regarding the inclusion of screening for alcohol use in routine diabetes care. Due to feasibility issues a small sample were recruited to the pilot study which reduced the ability to confidently infer clinical implications from findings.
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Chin, Pui-man Queenie, and 錢佩雯. "A study into the association between alcohol consumption and suicidality among the adult Hong Kong population." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48422897.
Full textAbstract:
Introduction
Suicidality and excessive alcohol use are both important public health issues. Various risk factors including alcoholism have been studied and identified to be associated with suicidality. Increasing evidence has shown that excessive alcohol use is associated with a wide range of physical and mental health issues. There is a lack of local study to study the association between alcohol consumption and suicidality in details including the association of different patterns of alcohol use with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The aim of this study is to study the association between alcohol use and suicidality, taking into account of possible differences between different pattern of alcohol use and various possible confounding factors.
Methods
This study was based on analysis of data collected in Population Health Survey (PHS) conducted in 2003/04, which was conducted by the Department of Health (HKSAR) and the Department of Community Medicine (HKU). A total
of 5600 respondents between the age of 18 to 64 were included in this study. The primary outcome was current suicidal ideation. Association between history of suicidal attempt with the other variables was also studied. The primary predictors variables included alcohol-related variables (presence of drinking, age of first drink, type of drink, amount of drinking, presence of binge drinking), history of mental illness (self-reported known history of depression, anxiety disorder and schizophrenia), level of depression and anxiety (STAI and CES-D scores), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF score), exercises, stress management and various demographic variables including age, sex, place of birth, marital status, education level and income level. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between suicidality and alcohol use.
Results
The prevalence of lifetime history of suicidal attempts is 5.1% in this population. 17.3% has lifetime history of suicidal ideations, 1.3% has a suicidal attempt in the past 1 year and 11.9% have suicidal ideations in the past one week. Being divorced or separated, being female, being a smoker, considering themselves having need for emotional support, having more severe depressive symptoms, having chronic diseases, depression and anxiety disorder were associated with presence of a history of suicidal attempt. The presence of current suicidal ideations was found to be associated with more severe depressive symptoms, poorer quality of life as reflected by a lower physical domain score of WHOQOL-BREF, being single, having history of binge drinking, having recent suicidal thoughts and lifetime history f suicidal thought. The presence of alcohol drinking and larger amount of alcohol intake were not shown to be significantly associated with presence of suicidal ideations and behaviors in the binary logistic regression models. Only the association between presence of current suicidal ideation and binge drinking was shown to be statistically significant.
Conclusion
This study did not find a strong association between alcohol consumption and suicidality. Among the alcohol-related variables, only binge drinking was found to be statistically significantly associated with current suicidal ideations. Further study to further explore association between alcohol and suicidality should be considered.published_or_final_version
Public Health
Master
Master of Public Health
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Kavanagh, Yeo Catherine R. "Knowledge, beliefs, behaviours, and decision making associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy in an urban prenatal population." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0019/MQ51730.pdf.
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Burnham, Morris F. "Psychosocial variables associated with the co-occurance of risky sexual behavior with alcohol consumption among university students." FIU Digital Commons, 1997. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1892.
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This study examined the association of theoretically guided and empirically identified psychosocial variables on the co-occurrence of risky sexual behavior with alcohol consumption among university students. The study utilized event analysis to determine whether risky sex occurred during the same event in which alcohol was consumed. Relevant conceptualizations included alcohol disinhibition, self-efficacy, and social network theories. Predictor variables included negative condom attitudes, general risk taking, drinking motives, mistrust, social group membership, and gender. Factor analysis was employed to identify dimensions of drinking motives. Measured risky sex behaviors were (a) sex without a condom, (b) sex with people not known very well, (c) sex with injecting drug users (IDUs), (d) sex with people without knowing whether they had a STD, and (e) sex with using drugs. A purposive sample was used and included 222 male and female students recruited from a major urban university. Chi-square analysis was used to determine whether participants were more likely to engage in risky sex behavior in different alcohol use contexts. These contexts were only when drinking, only when not drinking, and when drinking or not. The chi-square findings did not support the hypothesis that university students who use alcohol with sex will engage in riskier sex. These results added to the literature by extending other similar findings to a university student sample. For each of the observed risky sex behaviors, discriminant analysis methodology was used to determine whether the predictor variables would differentiate the drinking contexts, or whether the behavior occurred. Results from discriminant analyses indicated that sex with people not known very well was the only behavior for which there were significant discriminant functions. Gender and enhancement drinking motives were important constructs in the classification model. Limitations of the study and implications for future research, social work practice and policy are discussed.
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Critchlow, Nathan. "An investigation into digital alcohol marketing and user-created alcohol promotion, and the association with young adult's alcohol-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/25798.
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Context: There are two ways that digital media may influence alcohol use. The first is commercial alcohol marketing. The second is user-created alcohol promotion, defined as content distributed through new media that promotes consumption, but independent of commercial marketing. This thesis explores how both types of content promote alcohol, what association there is between exposure and alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour, and the differences between marketing and user-created promotion. Method: A mixed method design was employed, divided into two studies. The first was a content analysis of the design features, topical references, and messages suggested about alcohol in digital marketing and user-created promotion on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The second was a cross-sectional survey with young adults (n = 405). This measured awareness of, and participation with, digital marketing and user-created promotion, and the association with consumption, higher-risk drinking, brand recall, expectancies, and drinking motives. Results: The content analysis found that digital marketing had personalised designs which contained subtle and positive messages about consumption, whereas user-created promotion had simpler designs, displayed little ethical practice, and contained overt messages about higher-risk drinking. The cross-sectional survey found that young adults were aware of, and participating with, both digital marketing and user-created promotion, with exposure greater for the latter. Exposure to both types of content was positively associated with alcohol use, higher-risk consumption, and drinking intentions. User-created promotion had a stronger association with all outcomes than marketing. The association between exposure and consumption, for both types of content, was mediated through drinking motives and expectancies. Conclusion: Young adults are aware of, and participating with, a range of digital marketing and user-created promotion. That such exposure is associated with alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour highlights the potential of new media to influence alcohol consumption. Further research is required to better understand young people’s experience with digital media and the challenges of addressing online health risk messages.
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Sharrett-Field, Lynda. "CHARACTERIZING CONSUMPTION, DEPENDENCE, AND THE ROLE OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF VOLUNTARY ETHANOL CONSUMPTION." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/psychology_etds/34.
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Alcohol abuse disorders (AUD) represent a serious worldwide health problem with far reaching social, financial, and interpersonal implications. One of the most devastating facets of these disorders is the propensity to relapse following periods of abstinence. Ethanol withdrawal (EWD) is believed to promote relapse by increasing anxiety and craving, and may contribute to the development of cognitive decline associated with long-term dependence. Clinical data suggest that stress also plays a main role in both the development of AUD as well as relapse to drinking. As a physiological stressor, EtOH elevates levels of stress hormones (cortisol in humans, corticosterone (CORT) in the rat). Both CORT and EtOH have been shown to alter the composition, function, and activity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and in particular, the NR2B subunit of this receptor. These alterations have been suggested to mediate EWD, which may negatively impact abstinence rates. This synergistic interaction between EtOH and CORT may present a therapeutic target for the treatment of EWD. In fact, data suggest that blocking the glucocorticoid receptor, which is a main target for CORT, with RU-486 could promote abstinence, as treatment with the drug has been shown to reduce consumption and the development dependence, as well as the severity of EWD and the cognitive deficits following EWD. However, these latter effects have not been validated in models of voluntary EtOH consumption. As there is considerable evidence that active versus passive intake can significantly impact neuroadaptations to ethanol this is an important consideration. These studies sought to characterize consumption and evaluate the development of dependence in a chronic voluntary model of intermittent access (IA) to EtOH. CORT plasma levels and protein expression of the glucocorticoid and NR2B receptors were measured during and/or following exposure. Finally, to assess the role of CORT in EtOH consumption and the development of dependence, the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist ORG-34517 was administered during access to EtOH. IA access to 20% EtOH produced varying levels of consumption (2.0-6.7g/kg/24hr exposure) and blood EtOH levels (6.3-116.9 mg/dl), but did not significantly affect food consumption or weight gain. Baseline CORT levels were found to be predictive of subsequent EtOH consumption and levels of consumption were sufficient to elevate CORT levels following one hour of EtOH exposure. Further, IA to EtOH was sufficient to produce dependence, as measured by elevations in the acoustic startle reflex following 26 hours and five days of withdrawal. No alteration in protein expression was observed regarding either the NR2B or glucocorticoid receptors and exposure to ORG-34517 had no effect on consumption or withdrawal.
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Robertson, Johnathan. "Genetic investigation of α4-containing GABAA receptors' different roles in alcohol consumption and conditioned behaviours influenced by cocaine." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2018. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/77213/.
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The GABAA α4-subunit is found co-assembled with δ subunits in extrasynaptic GABAA receptors (α4-GABAARs). Within the striatum α4-GABAARs are most highly expressed in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) where they mediate tonic inhibition thought to control the excitability of accumbal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Experiments presented in this thesis use genetic techniques in mice to investigate the role of α4-GABAARs in modulating binge-like ethanol consumption and the potentiation of locomotor behaviours by cocaine. We have generated several transgenic mouse lines in which the Gabrα4 gene, encoding the α4 subunit, has been deleted either constitutively or within specific neural populations expressing D1 or D2 type dopamine receptors via cre/loxp recombination. Using quantitative rt-PCR and in-situ-hybridisation methods to compare Gabrα4 mRNA levels in brain sections from each genotype we confirmed that the α4 subunit was deleted either globally or in the expected cell type within conditional knockouts. We also generated an Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) carrying Cre-recombinase to knockdown α4 locally by infusing it into in specific brain regions of ‘floxed'-α4 mice. Deletion of the α4 subunit in mice significantly reduced alcohol consumption in a pre-clinical model of binge-drinking, known as drinking in the dark (DID). Moreover, targeted deletion of Gabrα4 in the NAc was sufficient to mediate this effect. We did not observe any effects on alcohol consumption in mice where α4 was deleted conditionally in D1 or D2 type neurons. This data indicates that α4- GABAARs in the NAc are an important mediator of alcohol consumption. Deletion of GABAAR α4-subunits from dopamine D1-expressing neurons facilitated cocaine's ability to potentiate locomotor activity and operant responding for natural rewards. Deletion of GABAAR α4-subunits from dopamine D2-expressing neurons had no such effects. Deletion of GABAAR α4-subunits from dopamine D1- expressing neurons also accelerated the acquisition of behavioural sensitisation to cocaine. This effect was associated with increased cFos expression in the NAc core following acute cocaine, whilst in cocaine-sensitised mice it was associated with increased cFos in both the NAc Core and Shell. A similar altered pattern of cFos expression was observed in mice with a global knockout of α4 subunits however they showed no behavioural effects. This may imply that a balance of α4-GABAARmediated inhibition in D1 and D2 neurons is required for normal behavioural sensitisation to cocaine. The data presented within this thesis indicate that α4- GABAAR-mediated inhibition of D1- and D2-expressing neurons plays an important physiological role in controlling behavioural responses to cocaine.
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Hoffman, Jessica L. "Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Ethanol Consumption and the Combined Effects on Neuroinflammation, Cognition, and Behavior in Mice." Scholar Commons, 2018. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7304.
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The relationship between alcohol consumption and traumatic brain injury (TBI) often focuses on alcohol consumption increasing the likelihood of incurring a TBI, rather than alcohol use outcomes after TBI. This focus is in part due to the large numbers of TBI patients visiting emergency rooms notable levels of alcohol in their blood. Additionally, increases in alcohol use disorders following TBI can be predicted by previous history of alcohol use. However, studies have also shown patients without a history of an alcohol use disorder can experience increases in problem drinking after single or multiple TBIs. Due to the diffuse impact of alcohol consumption and mild TBI on the brain, it is likely that an interaction exists between TBI outcomes and problematic alcohol use after TBI. To examine the impact of mild repetitive TBI (rmTBI) on voluntary alcohol consumption, male mice were subjected to four mild TBI or sham procedures over a two week period, then offered ethanol (20% v/v) for 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks using the two-bottle choice, drinking in the dark paradigm. Following the drinking period, mice were sacrificed and brains were extracted to examine expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, a possible shared mechanism of neuronal damage. An additional cohort of mice was subjected to the same rmTBI and voluntary ethanol paradigm and tested for cognitive and behavioral deficits following the set drinking period. Results indicate there is a temporary decrease in ethanol consumption following rmTBIs compared to Sham mice in this model. Results also suggest an attenuated expression of TNF-α in rmTBI, ethanol drinking groups compared to ethanol exposed mice after the Sham procedure. The outcomes of the cognitive and behavioral tasks suggest that ethanol consumption after rmTBI can cause transient cognitive dysfunction and increased novelty preference.
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Balaam, Sarah. "Alcohol use and associated health behaviours of women who have been treated for breast cancer." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2019. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130711/14/Sarah_Balaam_Thesis_DisseminationCopy.pdf.
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This study utilised mixed methods to determine the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors associated with alcohol consumption in women previously treated for breast cancer. Underpinned by the Precede-Proceed theoretical model, the study considered quantification of alcohol consumption; demographic, psychosocial, and health-related factors associated with alcohol use; and whether a tailored e-health lifestyle intervention changed alcohol-related health behaviours. Findings provided much needed insight into the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that shape alcohol consumption in the target population.
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Viglietti, Paola. "Maternal alcohol consumption and socio-demographic determinants of neurocognitive function of school children in the rural Western Cape." Master's thesis, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33095.
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Background. Within the South African context there is a large body of research regarding the associations between maternal gestational drinking and diagnosable child FASDs. However, there remains a paucity of local research regarding the impacts of other kinds of maternal drinking behaviours (e.g. past and present maternal drinking) and related socio-demographic factors on developmentally sensitive areas of child neurocognitive functioning, such as executive functioning (EF). Methods. This study was cross-sectional in design, utilising a gender balanced sample of N=464 children between the ages of 9.00 and 15.12 (year.months) in three rural areas within the Western Cape. Information regarding maternal drinking behaviours (before, during and after pregnancy) and related socio-demographic factors was collected via structured interviews with mothers or proxy respondents. Six subtests from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Battery (CANTAB), were used to assess three aspects of child EF namely: (1) processing speed, assessed by the MOT and RTI subtests, (2) attention, assessed by the MTT and RVP subtests and (3) memory, assessed by the SWM and PAL subtests. Findings. For all three maternal alcohol use behaviours examined, there was an apparent non-significant trend whereby children of mothers who reported alcohol use (before, during and after pregnancy) performed worse (on average) than children of mothers reporting non-alcohol use on the EF subtests. Several of the socio-demographic factors were found to act as significant predictors of subtest specific EF performance including child sex (RTI: B=.46, p<. 01; MTT: B=.05, p<.05), child age (RTI: B=.27, p<.05; MTT: B=.11, p<.01), home language (MOT: B=- .13, p<.05), maternal employment (MTT: B=-.04, p<.05) and household size (SWM: B=-1.29, p<.05). Conclusions. These study findings provide initial insights into the impacts of different types of maternal drinking behaviours and related socio-demographic factors on child EF outcomes within the context of an LMIC, South Africa.
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Jenkins, R. J., John McAlaney, and J. McCambridge. "Change over time in alcohol consumption in control groups in brief intervention studies: Systematic review and meta-regression study." Elsevier, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/2817.
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NoReactivity to assessment has attracted recent attention in the brief alcohol intervention literature. This systematic review sought to examine the nature of change in alcohol consumption over time in control groups in brief intervention studies. Primary studies were identified from existing reviews published in English language, peer-reviewed journals between 1995 and 2005. Change in alcohol consumption and selected study-level characteristics for each primary study were extracted. Consumption change data were pooled in random effects models and meta-regression was used to explore predictors of change. Eleven review papers reported the results of 44 individual studies. Twenty-six of these studies provided data suitable for quantitative study. Extreme heterogeneity was identified and the extent of observed reduction in consumption over time was greater in studies undertaken in Anglophone countries, with single gender study participants, and without special targeting by age. Heterogeneity was reduced but was still substantial in a sub-set of 15 general population studies undertaken in English language countries. The actual content of the control group procedure itself was not predictive of reduction in drinking, nor were a range of other candidate variables including setting, the exclusion of dependent drinkers, the collection of a biological sample at follow-up, and duration of study. Further investigations may yield novel insights into the nature of behaviour change with potential to inform brief interventions design.
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Daoura, Loudin. "Early Environment and Adolescent Ethanol Consumption : Effects on Endogenous Opioids and Behaviour in Rats." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för farmaceutisk biovetenskap, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-198670.
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Excessive and compulsive ethanol drinking is one of the most serious public health issues. Therefore, it is vital to increase the knowledge about risks and protection for alcohol use disorders (AUD) to optimize prevention and treatment strategies. Ethanol consumption commonly initiates during adolescence when extensive neuronal maturation and development also occurs. Early exposure to ethanol is a risk factor for AUD, but the effects of adolescent drinking and the basis for the individual susceptibility to AUD are not fully understood. The interactions between genotype and environmental factors determine the individual risk for AUD and this thesis aimed to examine the environmental impact. The specific aims were to investigate 1) how early-life conditions affect adolescent voluntary ethanol drinking, behavioural profiles, endogenous opioids and response to treatment with an opioid antagonist (naltrexone), and 2) whether alterations detected in the offspring may be mediated by variations in maternal behaviour. A rodent maternal separation (MS) model was used to mimic a protective and risk-inducing early-life environment, respectively, with the use of 15 min (MS15) or 360 min (MS360) of daily MS. The main findings were 1) the MS360, but not the MS15 rats, responded to naltrexone following adolescent ethanol drinking; all adolescent rats had a high voluntary ethanol intake independent of early environmental conditions whereas in the adult groups the MS360, but not the MS15 rats, increased their ethanol intake and preference over time; adolescent ethanol exposure resulted in higher dynorphin levels in hippocampus and higher Met-enkephalin-Arg6Phe7 in the amygdala, independently of rearing conditions, 2) behavioural profiling using the multivariate concentric square field™ test showed: the young MS360 rats had increased risk assessment and risk taking behaviour compared to the young MS15 rats; the young MS15 rats increased, whereas the young MS360 rats decreased, their risk assessment and risk taking behaviour over time; differences in pup-retrieval strategies where the MS360 dams retrieved some pups into a safe area but as compared to MS15 rats they left more pups in a risk area; increased risk assessment behaviour in the MS360 dams immediately after weaning. Taken together, early-life environmental conditions alter adult but not adolescent drinking, the response to naltrexone, and behaviour in dams and offspring. Adolescent rats consumed more ethanol independent of rearing conditions and displayed increased opioid levels in brain areas related to cognition and addiction.
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Katwan, Elizabeth. "Childhood behavioral and developmental disorders : association with maternal alcohol consumption and use of health services in Cape Town, South Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9038.
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Includes bibliographical references.[Background] Prenatal alcohol exposure can result in a range of permanent birth defects known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which detrimentally affects the neurodevelopmental, physical, and social capabilities of children, is the most severe diagnosis on this scale of disorders. Research suggests that FASD rates exceed FAS in various populations. South Africa’s Western Cape region has one of the highest rates of FAS in the world. [Hypothesis] In populations where the prevalence of full-blown FAS is already known to be high, such as the Western Cape, other, less severe childhood developmental and behavioural disorders may be due to prenatal alcohol exposure. Objectives The aim of this research was to determine the odds of maternal alcohol use in children with behavioural and/or developmental disorders (BDD) in comparison to children free from behavioural disorders. This project also examined the average utilisation of health services by children with BDD as an arm of a larger study on the economic burden of FAS in South Africa. [Methods] Opportunistic sampling was employed to select parents or caretakers of 110 children aged 4 to 12 for interviews at a tertiary children’s public hospital in Cape Town. Health service utilization and maternal alcohol consumption habits were compared between 55 cases, children with BDD and 55 controls, children free from such disorders. Univariate analyses and logistic regression methods were used to determine these associations. [Ethics] The University of Cape Town Research Ethics Committee approved this study. Dr. T. Blake, Senior Medical Superintendent of Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital granted access to Red Cross Hospital. Before each study interview was conducted, informed consent, which emphasized confidentiality of responses and the right to refuse to answer a question or withdraw from the interview, was taken from the adult respondent. We also explained to participants that they would remain anonymous and that their answers would not affect their child’s treatment in the clinics. [Results] BDD were significantly associated with current maternal alcohol consumption, maternal binge drinking in the last six months, and maternal alcohol use six months before pregnancy, but not significantly with reported maternal gestational drinking. The median number of visits to a clinic in the last six months was significantly higher for cases than for controls. [Conclusions] Childhood BDD among our study participants were not attributed to prenatal alcohol exposure. Current maternal alcohol consumption has a significant impact on BDD in children, possibly serving as a proxy for unstable home environments. The competing environmental factors that influence childhood BDD warrants further research.
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Wade, Jeannette Marie. "“DOING DIFFERENCE” AND HEALTH: AN EXAMINATION OF SEX, GENDER ORIENTATION AND RACE AS PREDICTORS OF FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, AND SEXUAL RISK IN EMERGING ADULTHOOD." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1510316690878234.
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Voolma, Silja-Riin. "The development and feasibility testing of a digital health intervention for reducing Estonian adolescent and young adult alcohol and tobacco consumption." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2017. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/267955.
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This project aimed to develop a digital web and mobile phone intervention for reducing Estonian adolescent and young adult alcohol and tobacco consumption. A systematic review was conducted, including a meta-analysis based on 32 randomised controlled trials, to investigate the associations with effectiveness of digital interventions in reducing adolescent and young adult alcohol and tobacco consumption. Digital interventions reduced adolescent and young adult weekly drinking (mean difference = -0.55, 95% CI (-1.04, -0.05), I2=93%) and monthly binge drinking (mean difference = -0.30, 95% CI (-0.55, -0.05), I2 = 75%). Digital interventions increased smoking cessation (risk ratio = 1.70, 95% CI (1.37, 2.11), I2= 35%). A qualitative focus group study with Estonian adolescents and young adults (N=22) indicated a lack of knowledge regarding effects of alcohol and tobacco consumption early in life and a recognition of the difficulty to change alcohol and tobacco consumption. A web and mobile phone based intervention programme was appealing to the focus group participants. The development of the first individually tailored web and mobile phone intervention targeting Estonian adolescent and young adult alcohol and tobacco consumption was undertaken. The content of this intervention was informed by the systematic review and meta-analysis, focus group study, psychological theory, and participatory design. The intervention, called MyOwnMe, is a tailored web program linked to a daily mobile phone text-messaging program. A pilot study with Estonian adolescents and young adults (N=22) indicated feasibility of implementation in Estonia and acceptability of intervention content. No difference was found between the intervention and control group in alcohol (mean difference = -0.2 95% CI (-0.9, 0.6), p = 0.62) or tobacco consumption (30-day abstinence from cigarette smoking RR = 1.25, 95% CI (0.81, 1.94)) after the 8-week study period. Results of this pilot study will be used for recommendations in this thesis on the development of individually tailored web and mobile phone interventions for Estonian adolescents and young adults.
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Haydon, Helen Moyra. "Exploring cultural, social and psychosocial influences on women's drinking across age cohorts." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84760/1/Helen_Haydon_Thesis.pdf.
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This program of research used a mixed methods approach to explore the cultural, social and psychosocial factors that influence women's alcohol consumption. Results indicated that there were a number of common influencing factors across women of all ages but also a number of key influences and behaviours that were distinct for younger and older women. These findings emphasised the need for age-specific interventions that target these influences to reduce women's exposure to alcohol-related harm. This research is one of the first studies to examine alcohol consumption of both younger and older women.
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Olakunle, Oni, Sreenivas P. Veeranki, Ying Liu, Zhao Peng, Oluyemi Rotimi, and Shimin Zheng. "Association Between Heavy Alcohol Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease Among U.S. Adults: Using the 2015 BRFSS Annual Survey Data." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/125.
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Background: Significant evidence exists about J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and total or cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality in US middleaged adults. Epidemiologic investigations presume that the J-shaped distribution is the sum of the detrimental effect of high levels of consumption on other causes of death and the protective effect on coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. Several studies demonstrated that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of CHD. However, results have been inconsistent among heavy drinkers. In this study, we investigated the association of heavy alcohol consumption with CHD among adults aged 18-years or older in the US. Methods: Data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to conduct this study. BRFSS is an annual cross-sectional survey administered to >400,000 adults in all 50 states to collect information about their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions and the use of preventive services. Self-reported responses to BRFSS questionnaire were used to define study variables. Heavy alcohol consumption was defined as greater than 14 drinks (1 drink =12 ounces of beer) per week for men and 7 drinks per week for women. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between history of coronary heart disease or angina and heavy alcohol consumption. The model was also adjusted for demographics (age, sex, and race), behaviors (exposure to tobacco smoking, physical activity, fruit consumption), other chronic conditions such as high blood pressure (ever been told having high blood pressure or not), high cholesterol (ever been told having high blood cholesterol or not) and overweight or obese. Results: Approximately 6% of study population reported history of CHD and 5% reported heavy alcohol consumption. The odds of having coronary heart disease or angina among heavy alcohol drinkers was 43% less than those who were not heavy alcohol drinkers (adjusted odds ratio: 0.57, 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.62, pConclusion: The study findings demonstrate that heavy alcohol consumption is a protective factor for CHD morbidity. Future observational studies should be conducted to determine the overall benefits of heavy alcohol consumption as it relates to coronary heart diseases.
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Wolstenholme, Jennifer. "Behavioral and Molecular Analysis of Individual Variation in Ethanol Drinking." VCU Scholars Compass, 2009. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1874.
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A majority of Americans regularly consume alcohol, but the risk factors leading to excessive drinking and alcohol abuse are unevenly distributed throughout the population. Genetic differences can account for only 40-60% of this variability. While variations in ethanol preference drinking in rodent models have been reported, the neurobiological factors underlying these behaviors are still not completely understood. Thus, these studies were designed to determine behavioral and molecular factors associated with the initiation of ethanol drinking preference in an inbred mouse model. We harnessed the power of inter-individual variation of ethanol drinking within an inbred mouse strain to essentially eliminate genetic variability and focus on environmental factors. Our studies have characterized robust, persistent individual variability in ethanol intake in C57 mice using a two-bottle choice paradigm. Ethanol intake differences were not due to litter effects or differences in taste preference. Social rank nor basal anxiety phenotypes could account for ethanol preference. Based on the shared co-morbidity of anxiety and alcoholism, and that alcoholics report anxiety and stress reduction as major motivational factors for drinking, we used an ethologically-relevant social defeat model to investigate stress-influences on ethanol drinking. We found that social defeat has bidirectional effects on ethanol drinking. Mice with a low predilection for ethanol tend to increase drinking following social stress while high preference mice decrease drinking. Even though social defeat produced a measurable physiological response in mice, defeat stress did not alter anxiety measures in the light-dark box. Thus, the current findings did not fully support the tension-reduction hypothesis of alcoholism. In order to determine the molecular factors underlying these differences in ethanol preference drinking, we employed genome-wide expression profiling to identify gene networks altered in ethanol-preferring and ethanol-avoiding mice. Genes involved in synaptic vesicle release, glutamate and BDNF signaling were differentially altered in drinking mice. Following stress-influenced ethanol drinking, expression profiling identified transcripts involved in dopamine signaling, the extra-hypothalamic stress response and alterations in steroid and glucocorticoid synthesis. Most importantly, these expression studies and behavioral analysis following histone deacetylase inhibition may be the first to implicate epigenetic factors involving chromatin acetylation and/or methylation as contributing to environmental modulation of ethanol intake.
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Ros, i. Simó Clara 1984. "Drug consumption and stressful experiences in adolescent mice: behavioural, neorotoxic and neurochemical responses." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/111169.
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Adolescence is a critical developmental period in which the brain emerges from an immature state to adulthood. This process of brain development is associated to greater cognitive capacity but also to altered emotional behaviour, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms; as well as increased sensation-seeking and risk taking behaviour. The proper development of brain and behaviour into adulthood can be negatively affected by external factors such as drug abuse and environmental conditions.
This work consists firstly on, studying the impact of binge ethanol, 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its combination in adolescent mice. Secondly, study the consequences of early-life stressful experiences (social isolation) into adulthood.
Main results obtained from the first objective are that the combination of binge ethanol and MDMA induces emotional-like alterations. These alterations can be prevented by antidepressant treatment. In addition, MDMA induces memory impairments that may be associated to oxidative damage to specific proteins in the hippocampus. Neuroinflammation is also present after MDMA treatment, but not after binge ethanol treatment, in mice striatum. Metabolomic studies indicate that brain metabolism is altered after binge ethanol, MDMA or its combination. Even though these are only preliminary results, these alterations might be due to an imbalance in tryptophan metabolism.
Regarding the second objective, our findings indicate that social isolation during adolescence induces an altered response to novel and stressful situations. These alterations are probably due to altered HPA axis activity.L'adolescència és un període crític en el desenvolupament de l’individu en el qual el cervell va d’un estat immadur a l’edat adulta. Aquest procés va acompanyat d’una elevada capacitat cognitiva però també de freqüents alteracions de tipus emocional, com l’ansietat o els símptomes depressius, així com la cerca de sensacions de risc. Un bon desenvolupament del cervell i del comportament es pot veure negativament afectat per factors externs com són l’abús de drogues i les condicions ambientals desfavorables. Aquest projecte consisteix en primer lloc, a estudiar l'impacte de l’alcohol en excés, la 3, 4-Metilendioximetamfetamina (MDMA) i la seva combinació en ratolins adolescents. En segon lloc, estudiar les conseqüències en l’edat adulta d’experiències estressants durant l’adolescència. Els principals resultats obtinguts referents al primer objectiu són que la combinació d'alcohol en excés i MDMA provoca alteracions de tipus emocional. Aquestes alteracions poden ser previngudes pel tractament amb antidepressius. A més, la MDMA indueix un deteriorament de la memòria que pot estar associada amb el dany oxidatiu a proteïnes específiques de l'hipocamp. També s’ha observat una resposta neuroinflamatòria en el cos estriat dels ratolins després del tractament amb MDMA, però no després del tractament amb etanol en excés. Finalment, estudis de metabolòmica indiquen que el metabolisme cerebral es veu alterat després de l’alcohol en excés, la MDMA o la seva combinació. Tot i que només són resultats preliminars, aquestes alteracions poden ser conseqüència d'un desequilibri en el metabolisme del triptòfan. Referent al segon objectiu, els nostres resultats indiquen que l'aïllament social durant l’adolescència indueix una resposta alterada a situacions novelles i estressants. Aquestes respostes anormals són probablement conseqüència d’alteracions en l’activitat de l’eix HPA.